FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We have developed this web page for frequently asked questions. If you do not see an answer to a specific question you have listed here, please feel free to Contact Us for further clarification.
Seal coating your driveway will protect it from oxidation from the sun which will dry out and evaporate the essential oils which keep the driveway together, it will protect it from gas & oil drippage which will attack the asphalt binder and eat through the asphalt, protect the asphalt from the elements (Rain, Snow, Sleet, Hail, Heat) which will destroy the binder in the asphalt and will beautify the surface with a jet black appearance which will help to melt snow and ice faster.
All driveways should be sealed 1 year after installation or resurfacing. If this is the first time the driveway has been sealed, you should also seal it the following year. After the first two initial seal coat applications, you can then seal coat on a 1 – 3 year schedule depending on your personal preference.
Every Spring you will receive a reminder post card from us for resealing, which doesn't mean you have to seal coat every year, it is just letting you know that we value your business and are keeping you in our records as a valued customer. The post card will also offer you a discount for early scheduling.
As asphalt expands and contracts it may develop pin size holes or small hairline areas in the coating which may allow water to infiltrate through the asphalt. By sealing the next season after initial application, you ensure that you now have a 100% water tight seal.
Brush application is the best method to ensure a consistent application of material. Squeegee application will either leave too much or too little material on the surface which will result in material tracking into your home onto your carpets and hardwood flooring or the material application being too thin which will result in pre-mature wear and tear.
Spray application is NOT SUITED for residential driveways. Spray application is only best suited for large wide open parking lots. With residential spray applications you will experience issues with overspray on your garage door, sidewalks, grass and even worse, your neighbor's house. No matter how well a company masks a spray job, you will still experience overspray on "non-target" surfaces. In addition, spray application works in the benefit of the contractor because instead of applying sealer at a rate of 80 sq ft per gallon, they are getting 110+ sq ft per gallon, thereby, cheating the customer out of material.
In addition, when the contractors "cut's in / edges / trims" with a brush around curbing, aprons, garage doors, landscape beds etc. you will have a definite color and texture difference where the spray and brush was performed leading to an unacceptable job.
Every driveway is different due to the amount of prep work that has to be completed. On average, a 2,000 sq ft driveway, with 50 ln feet of cracks that is moderately clean can be clean, oil spot primed, crack sealed and seal coated with a 3 person crew in about 1 – 2 hours.
Foot traffic can be allowed onto the surface after 3 hours. We recommend 24 – 48 hours before you use the driveway with your vehicle. If it is very hot and humid, we recommend 48 hours along with if it is cooler in the early spring or late fall.
We accept check or credit cards. We have a secure PayPal page on our web site which allows you to make your payment directly through our web site.
We will match any competitor's price for "same services offered". The price must be on a proposal that has the companies name and telephone number along with a description of the work with the price outlined. In short, if the proposal says "Seal Coating $225.00" and doesn't specify that the material is being applied by brush or what specification the material is, we cannot match their price. As the homeowner you have the option to then contract with that company, however, we are confident that upon completion you will most likely not be satisfied with the completed project if the contractor is not listing the product or application technique they intend to use on your driveway.
We will prime all oil and gas stains with our specialized primer. If the asphalt is so saturated with oil that the stones are loosening or the oil has softened the asphalt, we cannot guarantee against bleed through or the sealer possibly peeling off of the oil spots. These areas are best repaired with our Driveway Repair Service for a permanent repair.
Pavement sealer is designed to protect and beautify your driveway. Unfortunately it will not level or fill low spots. This can only be achieved by properly grading the driveway and resurfacing it with 1 1/2" – 2" of hot mix asphalt
We do not seal or fill alligator cracks in residential driveways with our driveway seal coating service. Alligator cracks are from inadequate asphalt thickness or unsuitable sub-base material and can only be repaired by saw cutting and removing the damaged asphalt and replacing it with fresh hot plant mix asphalt. This service is available from some of our office locations. Price start at $1,200.00 for professional saw cut repairs with plant hot mix asphalt. This service is designed to outlast the life of your driveway and outlasts cold patch and gator patch materials 10 – 1.
Yes. While we take additional steps that most companies don't to help conceal the crack sealing repairs, if you look closely you will still be able to see the outline of where the repairs were made. No seal coating product on the market will hide crack sealing repairs and if any contractor tells you that they will, ensure that they are willing to wait to get paid until after you inspect the job. A spray coat of sealer over crack sealing will actually "accentuate" the appearance of the cracks and make them more noticeable. Our broom flood coating will help cover the cracks and help them blend in with the surface, but a close observation will still show the outline. The cost of replacing your driveway from not crack sealing outweighs the aesthetic properties. You are spending $1.00 per sq ft to save $6.00 per sq ft later in replacement costs.
Driveway Guardian crews are some of the most meticulous crews in the industry. Please refer to our home page and picture portfolio to see the level of workmanship we produce which FAR EXCEEDS the industry standard. We have seal coated thousands of driveways with specialty and landscape curbing with-out splashing sealer onto the non-target surfaces. Our crews always have a pressurized water spray can on hand to be able to immediately clean any accidental splashes.
We try to schedule all of our driveways with-in 5 – 7 days after acceptance of the estimate. In some cases, we may be able to schedule the next day.
We do not give out specific times of when we will arrive at your driveway because there are too many variables that affect the schedule such as: weather, traffic, unexpected delays (Landscaper is cutting the lawn when the crew arrives), extra time needed to prepare driveway, neighbor add/ons etc) Our technicians arrive at our offices to work at 7 AM, they go into the office to review their work orders, load their necessary supplies and dispatch usually by 7:20 – 7:30 AM. We usually finish work around 6 PM, expect for the Fall where we are finished working by 3 PM to allow the sealer sufficient temperatures and daylight to cure properly.
We like to have all of your pertinent contact information in the event that we encounter a delay or the technicians see something out of place on your property that they feel you should be notified about immediately (ie: a screen removed and broken window in your side yard that may have been a burglar). It will also assist us with rapid scheduling in the event that we have a cancellation and we can schedule your driveway the same day.
Please have your cars moved out into the street by 7:30 AM, remove any landscape materials, mulch piles, toys, wood piles etc off the driveway. Please DO NOT wash or rinse your driveway prior to us arriving this will cause silt to become trapped in the pores of the driveway and will void your warranty. Please notify your nanny, cleaning company, deliveries etc that the driveway will be inaccessible to foot / vehicle traffic.
Driveway seal coating is a seasonal business that operates from April 15th – October 31st. Fall is our busiest time of the season, so it is advisable to schedule as early as possible. Pavement sealers are best applied when the nighttime temperatures do not drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yes, we provide all aspects of asphalt and concrete preventative maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and new installation for asphalt and concrete driveways and sidewalks. The only limitation is we do not perform concrete repair for pool decks, back yard sidewalks, patios, steps etc.